Friday, May 31, 2013

Snippets 16.52

Keira, full of joy! Love this!


A closer look at the collage.
I was teaching her what collages are all about,
& we made this together! Fun!


The scene after Keira tried on & tromped around in every pair of mama's & daddy's shoes she could find in the house!
Silly girl!


For homemade egg rolls... mmmm!


Keira took this little book box she has, & put photos in the compartments. There are holes in the top of the box, so when she closes it, you can still see the photos... her own album! So creative!


After asking mama how to spell the names of some of our friends & neighbors, Keira took to trying to write them out on the chalkboard.


Toasted almond slices & sesame seeds to top our Asian salads, or add into our chicken & rice...mmm!


Daddy's right hand girl!
{ tool belt courtesy of Uncle Joe & Tia Chita! }


Friday, May 24, 2013

Keira's ABC Book

So, I recently finished a project for Keira. Between the several months of tumbling around in my head & a couple more of actually getting it all done & put together, it has been at least six months in the making. I think it came together rather nicely, & thought I would share some photos. I stood in the doorway to get some natural light, & used Keira's puff quilt as the backdrop.
{ forgive the photo quality & the glare... 
& as always, just click on the photos to enlarge }

The mini Project Life album in cherry, which can be found through beckyhiggins.com, was perfect for this project.


Besides our own photos, I used printables (obtained through Pinterest, Mama Miss, Google images, Persnickety Prints, & Becky Higgins) & some cards from various Project Life core kits I have. 
{ feel free to click on any of the links to find out more! }


To the photos & adorable Mama Miss alphabet printables, I added text via Picasa. (I also printed an extra set of the alphabet cards, & a few extra of the sign cards, to laminate & use as a set of wipeable dry-erase flashcards for Keira. I plan to punch them in the corner with a hole punch, & put them on a key chain clip to hold them together. I'm sure she'll love it, too!)


The bunk bed photo is only one of three in the entire book that isn't my own. I decided to include it, however, as we actually have this bunk bed set for Keira, but have yet to set it up. So one of the things I love about this project is that the photos are personal to Keira... places we've gone, things we've done & seen, & parts of our simple everyday.


Another thing that is so great about this project, & one which Keira just loves, is that she can use a dry erase marker on the pages to practice writing her letters & it just wipes right off! So useful! You can see her handiwork in the last couple shots!


I think the most time-consuming part of this project was just figuring out which words to use. I wanted some to be simple, & others more difficult, so it could grow with her... at least for a little while. Also, coordinating words with the photos while trying to maintain a good variety of both.


Keira is so fascinated by these animal eyes we saw on Pinterest, so I customized a collage of them, via Picasa again, inserting her own eye as the human eye. Hooray for personalized photos!


I included the ASL alphabet signs because Keira loves to practice signing!


I love that this project is full of love & memories, & will hopefully serve as a practical & priceless heirloom for many years to come.


There are 40 pages in the Project Life mini album. As there are only 26 letters of the alphabet, & an additional title & back page, I filled in the additional 12 pages by extending some of the letters to a two-page spread, or adding an alphabet printable, as shown below.


All of the photos & printables were printed by Persnickety Prints.
Love them!


Keira took this juicy juice photo herself! I just had to include at least one kpic!


I included photos of things Keira loves,
such as these from the garden!


The first time ever to dip her sweet toes in Pacific Ocean waters,
& our regal, former kitty, Raj.


Things she loves to play with, & pick. Hey! Those start with 'p', too!


More filler alphabets.


A shot from our former home, & things mama makes.


More from the garden.


& more from the garden. Also, 
Keira's little feet on a Mother's Day morning.
{ note the mismatched socks? I didn't, until we were already on our way to church that is.
Oh well. 
As Keira would say: 'too late now!' }


& more of what Keira loves.


& yet even more of what she loves.


& as Keira loves to sing (from her Signing Time Music DVD): 'ABCDEFG, HIJKLMNOP, QRS, TUV, WXYZ, so many letters, so many signs, so many words in so little time!'

It's not perfect, but it's definitely something special,
& Keira loves it more than I expected she would! 
Success!


A wonderful Memorial Day weekend to one & all!

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Snippets 15.52

Re-purposing some of the shelves in the front room.


When Keira was finished painting, Bob put the leftover paint to good use!


We don't get to go very often, but I like shopping here.


Keira's favorite thing to do at the park!


Fun, fun!


Out & about.


I love Keira's crazy mess all over the front room!
{ looking at it in this photo that is, in real life... not so much }




Monday, May 13, 2013

Springtime in Southern California

{ shots of Spring from around our home & neighborhood }

Nasturtiums.


Ice plants.


 Basil.


One of the many lizards in our yard.


Not sure what this tree is, but I love the violet blossoms.


Fruit trees.


Orange trees.


{ unknown }


Flowers.


Tarragon.


Red poppies.


Calla Lily.


{ unknown }


Chrysanthemum.


{ unknown }


Geraniums.


Wildflowers.


{ unknown }


Flower beds.


Chives.


Cute house! I like the combination of the rose bushes & the palm trees. The rose bushes make me think of Alice in Wonderland.


Smoky sunsets.


The view of our beautiful little yard from the front door.
{ courtesy of our resident landscape architect, Bob }


Snail's eye view!